IRSA Deputy Task Lead

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Job Summary

IPAC at Caltech is seeking a Deputy Task Lead to join the staff of the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA). Come be a part of the team that is helping astronomers and data scientists all over the world access and explore IRSA’s petabyte archives of astronomy data!

IPAC, part of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy Division at Caltech (www.caltech.edu), provides science operations, user support, data and archive services, and scientific vision to enhance discovery with observatories both in space and on the ground. IRSA (http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu) is the steward of scientific data sets delivered by NASA's Astrophysics missions. We enable transformative scientific research using data from these and other missions. IRSA ingests petabyte-scale imaging datasets, maintains multi-billion row databases, and develops a variety of tools for accessing, visualizing, and analyzing data from cutting-edge astronomical facilities. We are also preparing to support upcoming astrophysics missions including: SPHEREx, a NASA mission which will conduct a spectroscopic, infrared survey of the entire sky; Euclid, a European Space Agency (ESA) mission to study the geometry and nature of the dark Universe; and NEO Surveyor, a mission designed to discover and characterize most of the potentially hazardous asteroids that are near the Earth.

Essential Job Duties

As IRSA Deputy Task Lead, you will assist the IRSA science and task leads on activities which may include:

• Supporting task management with scheduling, progress and issue tracking, peer reviews, and reporting metrics.
• Working with IRSA's customers, typically space- and ground-based astronomy telescope facilities, to understand and interpret needs.
• Working with IRSA leads to collaboratively formulate development plans based on customer needs and available resources.
• Discerning requirements and writing interface control documents.
• Overseeing the configuration, control, and monitoring of IRSA services, software repositories, documentation, and data holdings.
• Working with archive system engineers in management of systems infrastructure, both on-premise and in the cloud.
• Other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

If you have the following in your background, then we want to hear about your interest in joining our team:

• Bachelor’s or equivalent degree in a technical subject such as Astronomy, Physics, Math, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Sciences, or a related field.
• Experience overseeing projects involving multiple team members.
• 5+ years of experience in a system engineering role.
• 2+ years experience as a professional software developer in a Unix/Linux environment.
• Good written and interpersonal communication skills, with an emphasis on the ability to share ideas in a collaborative setting.
• Qualify as a United States (US) person as defined by ITAR regulations.

Preferred Qualifications

Beyond these basic qualifications, there are skills and experiences which will add to your ability to contribute to the roles and responsibilities of IRSA Deputy Task Lead. Any of the following might give you a head start here, but even if these do not describe you or your experience, we would still like to hear from you!

• Experience working with scientific data sets and use cases.
• Fluency with software configuration management principles and tools, source code version control (e.g., Git/GitHub) and issue/bug tracking systems (e.g., Jira).
• Familiarity with scheduling / project management software, such as FastTrack, Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or the equivalent.
• Experience with server virtualization and cloud services such as AWS, GCP, Azure.
• Experience with software containerization and deployment technologies, such as Docker and Kubernetes.
• Familiarity with database applications (SQL) and large-scale data processing.
• Experience in management and operations of data centers and other systems infrastructure.

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Apply via Caltech Website

Application Details

• This position is an on-site role in Pasadena, California. There will be some allowability for remote work.
• Applicants for this position must be a United States (US) person as defined by ITAR regulations – A US person is a citizen of the United States, a lawful permanent resident alien of the US (“Green Card” holder), or individuals granted refugee and Asylee status under US law.
• Applications are due by June 28, 2024.

Life at Caltech/IPAC

People choose to work at IPAC for many reasons, and the casual, employee-centric culture often leads to fulfilling, long-term careers and lasting relationships. Caltech’s benefits program offers a quality, competitive benefits package that is affordable for you and the Institute. The program provides a strong base of coverage for you and your dependents, and the ability to choose the plan and the level of coverage that best meet your needs. We also offer a 403(b) defined contribution plan to eligible staff as well as a Voluntary Retirement Savings (TDA) Plan. IPAC staff have access to the Institute’s facilities, including the athletic center, libraries, on-site daycare, professional development and enrichment classes, and Athenaeum club membership.

Hiring Range

$118,600 - $134,100 Per Year

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks. 

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Caltech is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

To read more Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) go to eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf.

Disability Accommodations

If you would like to request an accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].